Plantar fasciitis is a common foot disorder that causes heel spur and other types of plantar facial pain. Plantar fasciitis can be treated, and the associated pain relieved, by shortening and relaxing the musculatures of the foot. The various elastic footwraps currently available typically provide only superficial support for the veins of the foot, the arch or the ankle joint. Such footwraps are not designed to nor do they shorten and relax the musculatures of the foot. Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide an elastic footwrap that effectively treats plantar fasciitis by shortening and relaxing the musculatures of the foot.
Plantar fasciitis is currently treated by wrapping the foot with tape or materials with tape-like backing. If done correctly, taping the foot can shorten and relax the musculatures of the foot to effectively treat plantar fasciitis and relieve the pain associated therewith. But taping must be done by a physician or other trained medical person and may not be removed and reinstalled by the patient. It is desireable to treat plantar fasciitis with a device that may be correctly used by the patient, including removal and reinstallation, to lower the cost of treatment and to minimize the incidental discomfort and inconvenience associated with taping (such as itching and difficulty bathing). Accordingly, it is another object of this invention to provide a device for treating plantar fasciitis that may be correctly removed and reinstalled by the patient.
Taping treats plantar fasciitis by fixing the foot in a predetermined position. Once the foot is taped, its position may not be adjusted with any significant degree of precision. Some adjustment is possible, but only by re-taping the foot. Re-taping is time consuming and expensive. It is desireable that the device used to treat plantar fasciitis provide a means for accurately adjusting the position of the foot in an efficient and cost effective manner. Accordingly, another object of this invention is to provide a device for treating plantar fasciitis that allows for the adjustment of the position of the foot with a significant degree of precision in a way that is quicker and less costly than taping.